Flush vent assembly



June 27, 1967 L. SAGE ETAL FLUSH VENT ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 16, 1965 K mmm T HA N M EE WW VGNE. rt NA 5V.

7 mmm H PM Y B United States Patent 3,327,609 FLUSH VENT ASSEMBLY LyleSage, Portland, Greg, and Richard Van Sehaick, Sebastopol, and MilfordL. Hermansen, Petaluma, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, toClimate Manufacturing Co., Inc., Hayward, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Filed Sept. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 487,877 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-62)This invention relates to vents for venting gas heaters and the like,and is more particularly directed to a flush wall vent assembly whichwhen mounted does not protrude beyond the exterior face of the wall soas to prevent side winds from being inwardly directed into the exhaustpassage of the assembly.

Various wall vent assemblies are employed with wall heaters, and thelike to enable outside air to be admitted to the combustion chamber ofthe unit and dangerous combustion products to be exhausted from thechamber to the outside atmosphere. In other words, such vent assembliesare mounted in an exterior wall and serve to communicate the combustionchamber of the heater or other unit with the outside atmosphere in orderthat the combustion chamber be completely sealed from the room in whichthe uni-t is installed. In this manner, there is no danger of thecombustion products entering the room, such products being insteadsafely vented to the outside. Typically, previous wall vent assemblieshave included inner and outer coaxially arranged pipes defining innerand outer coaxial exhaust and air intake passages extending through awall in which the assembly is installed. The cylindrical inner passageis communicated with an exhaust stub of a wall heater unit, or the like,positioned adjacent the interior of the wall, while the outer annularpassage is communicated with an air intake port of the unit. The outerends of the pipes are secured to a cap which pro trudes from the wallexterior and is arranged to define coaxially spaced radial spacesrespectively extending into communication with the inner cylindricalexhaust passage and outer annular intake passage. While the protrudingend caps of conventional wall vent assemblies have been efiective inpreventing head-on winds from entering the exhaust passage, they havenot been particularly effective against side winds. In this regard, sidewinds have swept radially into the space in the protruding end capprovided to terminate the exhaust passage. The side winds have then beendirected into the exhaust passage with the result that exhaust ofcombustion products from the combustion chamber of the heater isprevented and the burner is smothered.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved wall vent assembly which is arranged to prevent side winds aswell as head winds from apperciably entering the exhaust passage of theassembly. The exhaust of combustion products from the combustion chamberof a heater, or the like, associated with the vent is therefore notblocked and the burner thereof is not smothered.

Another primary object of the invention is the provision :of a coaxialWall vent assembly wherein the inlet and outlet vents are flush with theexterior face of the assembly so as to improve the appearance thereof,protect the same from mechanical damage, and reduce the possibility ofaccidental burns from a person coming into contact therewith.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a flush wallvent assembly having coaxial passages terminated in a recessed flushvented chamber arranged to prevent the direct admission of Wind thereto.

3,327,609 Patented June 27, 1967 It is a further object of the inventionto provide a vent assembly of the class described which is of relativelysimple low cost construction.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawning and description may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a vent assembly in accordance with theinvention as installed in a wall.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the assembly illustrating in particular theflush vents thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a Vent 11 in accordance with the invention isinstalled in an opening 12 through a wall 13, which, in the illustratedcase, has spaced inner and outer siding panels 14, 16. The vent assemblyincludes a housing 17 of rectangular cross-section which is open at oneend and provided with a closure wall 18 at the other end. Centrally ofthe closure wall there is provided a circular opening 19 defining aninlet to a stub pipe 21 projecting from the exterior of the closurewall. The side walls of the housing 17 are provided with outwardlyflared flanges 22 adjacent its open end. The housing cross-section issubstantially conformed to that of the wall opening 12 such that whenthe housing is installed therein, the flanges 22 abut the exterior faceof the outside siding panel 16 about the opening. The interior of thehousing is thus recessed within the wall 13, and the stub pipe 21extends through the opening to project from the inside panel 14.

The vent assembly further includes a tubular stub 23 formed with anannular outwardly flared dished in baflie 24 at one end. A plurality ofcircumferentially spaced tubular stand-off members 26 projectlongitudinally from the bathe in outwardly spaced relation to the stub23. A circular dished in cap 27 is provided with a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced longitudinally projecting tubular stand-offmembers 28 arranged to register with the members 26. Members 28 arealigned with members 26 and a plurality of sheet metal screws 29 extendtherethrough into thereaded engagement with the closure wall 18 atpositions adjacent the opening 19. The lengths :of the stand-off members26, 29 are such that the marginal portion of the cap 27 is substantiallyflush with the flanges 22. The entire assembly of the baffle and cap isthus positioned within the housing 17 which itself is positioned withinthe wall 13. A pipe 31 is received within the stub 23 and extendscoaxially through the stub pipe 21 in inwardly spaced relation thereto.In this manner, an inner passage 32 is defined through the pipe 31, andthis passage is communicated with the interior of housing 17 through thearcuate, substantially radially extending space defined between thebafile 24 and cap 27. An outer annular coaxial passage 33 is definedbetween the inner pipe 31 and outei stub pipe 21. Passage 33 is alsocommunicated with the interior of the housing, but through thesubstantially radially extending space defined between the baflle 24 andclosure wall 18 of the housing. Thus, passages 32, 33 communicate withthe housing interior through separate longitudinally spaced bafiiedopenings. One passage, for example the inner passage, may be employedfor exhaust of combustion products from the combustion chamber of a wallheater, or the like, disposed adjacent the inner siding panel 14 of thewall 13. The other passage, in this case the outer passage, may at thesame time be employed to admit intake air to the combustion chamber.Interaction between the two passages is prevented by the bafflingarrangement of the baflie 24 and end cap 27.

The vent assembly of the present invention is completed by means of aflush closure plate 34 secured to flanges 22 in closing relation to theopen end of housing 17. The closure plate is rectangular and providedwith an inwardly stepped shallow marginal flange 36 which engages thesiding panel 16 about the opening 12 when the plate is secured to thehousing. In this regard securance of the plate is preferably facilitatedby sheet metal screws 37 extending through apertures 38 in the face ofthe plate adjacent the inwardly stepped edges thereof and threadablyengaging registering apertures 39 in the flange 22. Centrally of theplate 34 there is provided a circular aperture 40 :of a size to beoutwardly spaced from the cap 27 and define an annular vent 41therewith. This vent is substantially opposite'the arcuate radial spacebetween the cap 27 and baflie 24 which extends into communication withthe interior passage 32. The plate is further provided with a pluralityof circumferentially spaced arcuate vents 42 in outwardly spacedconcentric relation to aperture 40, and therefore vent 41. These ventsare substantially opposite the outer termination of the radial spacebetween baflle 24 and end wall 18 which extends into communication withouter passage 33. Outwardly of the aperture 40 the exterior face of theplate 34 is formed with an annular concave depression 43 which extendsradially between the vents 41, 42. Also, radially outward from the vents42 the exterior face of the plate is formed with concave depressions 44which terminate radially at the outer annular edges of the vents 42.

With the foregoing construction of the closure plate, it is ofimportance to note that the vents 41, 42 are outwardly defined byrelatively raised portions of the plate which extend smoothly intoconcave depressions in adjacent regions. This has a tendency to deflectboth head and side winds away from the vents and to prevent the directentry of wind into the interior of the housing 17. The actualterminations of the vent passages 32, 33- are within the recessedinterior of the housing by virtue of the flush arrangement of theassembly. In addition, the baffling within the housing between the flushvents and terminations of the vent passages further minimizes the directflow of wind thereinto. The net result is a vent assembly which is notsusceptible to the exhaust being impeded or stified by harsh winds.

What is claimed is:

1. A flush vent assembly comprising a rectangular housing having an openend and a closed end with a stub pipe projecting centrally therefrom andcircumscr-ibing an opening therethrough, said housing having outwardlyflared flanges at the open end thereof adapted to engage an exteriorface of a wall when the housing is disposed in an opening therein, atubular stub having an outwardly flared dished in bafiie at one end,said stub disposed in coaxial inwardly spaced relation to said stubpipe, a plurality of circumferentially spaced tubular stand-off membersprojecting longitudinally from said baille in outwardly spaced relationto said stub and engaging the closed end wall of said housing, acircular dished in cap having a second plurality of circumferenti-allyspaced tubular stand-off members projecting longitudinally therefrom inregistering engagement with said first plurality of stand-off members,said cap coaxially spaced from said baflle with the marginal edgethereof substantially flush with said flanges of said housing, aplurality :of fasteners extending through said first and secondpluralities of standoff members and threadably engaging the closed endwall of said housing, and a rectangular closure plate secured to saidflanges of said housing in closing relation to the open end thereof,said plate having a central circular aperture outwardly circumscribingsaid cap in spaced relation thereto to define an annular vent therewith,said plate having a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate ventsconcentric with said aperture of said plate and outwardly spacedtherefrom, said plate having an arcuate concave depression in theexterior face thereof intermediate said annular vent and arcuate ventsand concave depressions extending radially outward from the outerarcuate edgesof said arcuate vents.

2. A flush vent adapted for mounting in a wall having an openingextending therethrough, comprising a housing having side walls disposedin said wall through said opening and terminating in a flange adapted tooverlie the wall around the opening for mounting the housing on thewall, said housing between substantially open at the outer end thereofat said wall opening and having a transaxial inner wall at the other endthereof, said latter wall having an opening therein, a stub pipeextending inwardly from said inner wall in communication with theaperture therein, an inner pipe coaxially disposed concentrically withinsaid stub pipe with the outer end thereof terminating in a laterallyflared baffle positioned forwardly from the inner wall of the housing,said bafile having a transaxial extent substantially as great as thecross-sectional extent of said stub pipe and in alignment therewith, acap mounted in said housing and disposed forwardly of said bafile inaxial alignment therewith, said cap having a transaxial extentsubstantially as great as that of said bafile, and a plate securedacross the open end of said housing, said plate having bafiie openingstherein directed to guide the flow of air therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,936 8/1958 Valler-o 98--32X 2,856,837 10/ 1958 Thulmann 98-46 2,966,838 1/ 1961 Thompson etal98-62 3,064,638 11/ 1962 Bauer 9846 X 3,105,432 10/ 196 3 Chamberlain a-98-62 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner.

2. A FLUSH VENT ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING IN A WALL HAVING AN OPENINGEXTENDING THERETHROUGH, COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING SIDE WALLS DISPOSEDIN SAID WALL THROUGH SAID OPENING AND TERMINATING IN A FLANGE ADAPTED TOOVERLIE THE WALL AROUND THE OPENING FOR MOUNTING THE HOUSING ON THEWALL, SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY OPEN AT THE OUTER END THEREOFAT SAID WALL OPENING AND HAVING A TRANSAXIAL INNER WALL AT THE OTHER ENDTHEREOF, SAID LATTER WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A STUB PIPEEXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID INNER WALL IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEAPERTURE THEREIN, AN INNER PIPE COAXIALLY DISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY WITHINSAID STUB PIPE WITH THE OUTER END THEREOF TERMINATING IN A LATERALLYFLARED BAFFLE POSITIONED FORWARDLY FROM THE INNER WALL OF THE HOUSING,SAID BAFFLE HAVING A TRANSAXIAL EXTENT SUBSTANTIALLY AS GREAT AS THECROSS-SECTIONAL EXTENT OF SAID STUB PIPE AND IN ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, ACAP MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED FORWARDLY OF SAID BAFFLE INAXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, SAID CAP HAVING A TRANSAXIAL EXTENTSUBSTANTIALLY AS GREAT AS THAT OF SAID BAFFLE, AND A PLATE SECUREDACROSS THE OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING, SAID PLATE HAVING BAFFLE OPENINGSTHEREIN DIRECTED TO GUIDE THE FLOW OF AIR THERETHROUGH.